It's here: the world's biggest fighting game tournament, EVO 2011. Thousands will compete, but only a few will be crowned. Whose names will be engraved in the Pantheon of World Warriors?
EVO 2011 Preview
STREAM
The EVO 2011 live broadcast will be brought to you by the collaborative efforts of iPLAYWINNER and Team Sp00ky, as well as Offcast and FinestKO. Check here for details:
The final details of the streams still haven't been released yet, but here's what we know now:
Stream 1: http://www.ustream.tv/evo2011
Stream 2: http://www.ustream.tv/evo2011bonus
Low quality option (Stream 1): http://www.ustream.tv/channel/evo-low
Stream 1 and 2 on a single page: http://www.ustwrap.info/multi/evo-1::evo-2
Japanese booth stream with Gama no Abura: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/godsgarden
Stream of the EVO Public Viewing in Japan: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/godsgarden2
ST Higher Rollers ($40) tournament (over): http://www.ustream.tv/channel/evo-super-turbo-tournament
Stream 1: Team Sp00ky
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition (Friday)
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (Saturday)
Finals (Sunday)
Stream 2: Offcast/FinestKO
Mortal Kombat (Friday)
Tekken 6, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II (Saturday)
After-hours Stream: iPLAYWINNER
The primary stream will also be available on PlayStation Home.
For the final day of EVO, GODSGARDEN will be holding a public viewing in Japan, at the Akihabara Clark Studio.
INFO
From the EVO site:
Since its inception in 2002, the tournament has had its hype moments here (full match) and there (full match). Anticipate many great moments to come this year as well.
For more information, check the F.A.Q. on the EVO website.
SPONSORS
Capcom
Namco Bandai Games
Mad Catz
THQ
Meat Bun
Focus Fire
Broken Tier
Galaxy4Gamers
Atlus
GAMES
For rules, check the Player Guide for more information:
Tournament Format
Tournament Rules
Additional Rules
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II
This is actually BlazBlue's first year at EVO, as in 2009, the console release was only a month before that year's tournament. In 2010, with the community split between Calamity Trigger and Continuum Shift which at the time was already released in arcades in Japan and was leaked to PC the BB community decided it was best to give up their slot on the roster, and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was selected as a replacement. This year, however, BlazBlue is finally ready for the main stage. With the May release of the Continuum Shift II DLC, the console and arcade release are finally at parity.
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
For the first half of the year, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has been the new hype. While SSFIV headed into twilight as everyone waited for the inevitable AE release, MvC3 took the community by storm, and the stream monster "Fuck Tekken, when's SF?" became "Fuck SF, when's Marvel?" Tokido's victory at CEO has certainly shaken things up, a reminder that this isn't Marvel 2 anymore: this is anyone's game. As long as one plays Wolverine and/or Phoenix, that is. Is "America's Game" not America's anymore?
For some in-depth analysis of the current state of MvC3 play, check out Dahbomb's posts on the MvC3 Meta-game: Part 1 Part 2
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat is the first US-made game to be a part of the tournament. NetherRealm Studios has endeavored to making this game a tournament-worthy one. The game made quite a showing at CEO this year, with over 160 entrants. Cheers to MK's inaugural year, hopefully it will be a strong one.
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition
This is the third year and third version of Street Fighter IV. New characters have joined the fray, and we've already seen the dominance of Yun from Daigo Umehara. Japan has had the game for months; most players in the US are still trying to play catch-up. Expect players to continue to grind it out over the coming weeks, trying to gain a better familiarity with the new version.
Tekken 6
SoulCalibur, Virtua Fighter, and Dead or Alive have come and gone, but Tekken has been the one 3D fighting game series that has stuck around, having had representation at every EVO with the exception of 2002 and 2009. It may not be every stream monster's delight, but Namco is adding an extra $5000 to the pot, so there's certainly money to be won.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Grandmaster Invitational
Five competitors, hand-picked by Capcom staff will challenge each other in a round-robin format tournament, playing the classic Third Strike.
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 East Coast vs. West Coast Exhibition
The rivalry between the US East and West Coasts burns again. NerdJosh, representing the East Coast, and Justin Wong, representing the West Coast, will announce their selections for this 5v5 competition live on Thursday, and the two teams will duke it out on Saturday night.
OTHER GAMERS
Namco will be bringing the latest build of Tekken Tag Tournament 2, as well as exclusive SoulCalibur V content. Street Fighter × Tekken make an appearance. Skullgirls will also have a large presence at EVO, including a side tournament for a chance to win a custom Skullgirls arcade stick.
EVO 2011 PANEL SERIES
EVO will host a series of panels throughout the event, featuring games, interviews as well as a discussion of the fighting game community itself.
Panel #1: Feed the Stream Monsters: A Guide to Broadcast Fighting Games - Friday, July 29 10AM
Mr Jared of (PAYWINNER, AJ aka Potatohead of Level|Up, and Louis aka Offcast speak on the history of fighting game broadcast as well as tips for building a successful stream.
Panel #2: Skullgirls: A New Age of Heroines - Friday, July 29 12PM
Mike Z talks the game a bit, and we get a deeper look into Parasoul, the newest character to be introduced.
Panel #3: Inside the Mind of the Beast: Daigo Umehara Exposed! - Friday, July 29 2PM
Seth Killian interviews the man himself. A limited edition Umehara shirt will also be for sell for $20.
Panel #4: Marvel Vs Capcom 3: Past, Present, and Future w/ Ryota Niitsuma (producer) and Hidetoshi Neo_G Ishizawa (battle designer) - Friday, July 29 4PM
Two of the minds behind Marvel vs. Capcom 3 discuss the game's development process as the future of MvC.
Panel #5: THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII: Panel and Discussion - Saturday, July 30 10AM
Producer Kei Yamamoto and Atlus Project Manager Yu Namba offer an inside look at the development of The King of Fighters XIII.
Panel #6: Street Fighter III: Online Edition, Reinventing a Classic - Saturday, July 30 12PM
Derek Neal, Christian Svensson and Dave Lang (CEO of Iron Galaxy, the OE developer) talk about bringing by 3rd Strike for another round and chat about features the fans would like to see in future fighting games.
Panel #7: Namco Bandai Get Ready For The Next Panel! - Saturday, July 30 2PM
Tekken Team Director Katsuhiro Harada, Game Designer Michael Murray and Community Manager FilthieRich talk the future of Tekken, while SoulCalibur V Director Daishi Odashima shares info on the upcoming release.
Panel #8: New Directions in Street Fighter × Tekken - Saturday, July 30 4PM
Yoshinori Ono, producer of SFIV and SFxT and perhaps the greatest troll in the fighting game community, gives us the latest scoop on Street Fighter X Tekken.
PLAYERS
Final point standings for the EVO Tournament Season (MvC3, SSFIV AE, Tekken 6)
To list every notable that will attend notable player that will be attending EVO would certainly be a daunting task. Just about every big name in the US fighting game scene will be there. Veterans like Justin Wong, Alex Valle, Sanford Kelly and Arturo Sanchez. Fan favorites (and not-so-favorites), like Mike Ross, Filipino Champ and Yipes. The new generation of prodigies, such as WolfKrone and Chris G. Joining them will be fierce international competition from Europe, Japan, and other areas around the globe. Over 40 countries will be represented at EVO.
Some of the international competition:
Cuongster [France]
Evans [France]
Frieda [Japan]
Fuudo [Japan]
Gama no Abura [Japan]
GamerBee [Taiwan]
Gackt [Singapore]
Humanbomb [Australia]
Infiltration [South Korea]
Kayo Police [Japan]
Laugh [South Korea]
Leslie [Singapore]
Nekohashi [Japan]
Nyanshi [Japan]
Poongko [South Korea]
Shiro [Japan]
Shungoku Neurosis [Japan]
StarNab [France]
Stev0 [Ireland]
Xian [Singapore]
Zhieeeeep [Singapore]
eLive
Kindevu [Japan]
RF [Japan]
Evil Geniuses
Choco [Japan]
Momochi [Japan]
LowLandLions
Kayane [France]
Ryan Hart [UK]
Team Mad Catz
Daigo Umehara [Japan]
Kayane [France]
Mago [Japan]
Ryan Hart [UK]
Tokido [Japan]
The Traveling Circus
GamerBee [Taiwan]
Tokido [Japan]
ToXY [Australia]
NeoGAF will be at EVO in force; even the below list is only partial.
EvoGAF
BigJiantRobut
Bob White
cHaotix8
devastatorprime
dragonballjoseph
Eissan
FishStix
GalacticAE
Gegz
God's Beard
haunts
JEKKI
Joekage
Killa Sasa
macuser1of5
MarkMan
Mr Jared
notworksafe
nycfurby
Rice-Eater
rivals
Skilletor
TestMonkey
ThatCrazyGuy
The Int3rsect
viewtiful_dru
SCHEDULE
*All times are PDT (-7 UTC)*
THURSDAY, JULY 28
2:00 PM 8:00 PM: Early Badge Pickup
10:00 PM: Official Evo Pre-Party @ Insert Coin(s)
FRIDAY, JULY 29
Tournament Schedule
8:00 AM 6:00 PM: Pool Play, SSFIV AE, MK
6:00 PM 8:00 PM: Quarterfinals SSFIV AE, MK
8:00 PM 11:00 PM: Semifinals, SSFIV AE, MK
Panel Schedule
10:00 AM: Feed the Stream Monsters: A Guide to Broadcast Fighting Games
12:00 PM: Skullgirls: A New Age of Heroines
2:00 PM: Inside the Mind of the Beast: Daigo Umehara Exposed!
4:00 PM: Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Past, Present, and Future!
6:00 PM: Screening, Bang the Machine
SATURDAY, JULY 30
Tournament Schedule
8:00 AM 6:00 PM: Pool Play, MvC3, Tekken 6, BlazBlue CSII
6:00 PM 8:00 PM: Quarterfinals, MvC3, Tekken 6, BlazBlue CSII
8:00 PM 11:00 PM: Semifinals, MvC3
12:00 AM: MvC3 EC vs. WC 5 on 5 Exhibition
Panel Schedule
10:00 AM: King of Fighters XIII: Panel and Discussion
12:00 PM: Street Fighter III: Online Edition, Reinventing a Classic
2:00 PM: Namco Bandai Get Ready for the Next Panel!
4:00 PM: New Directions in Street Fighter X Tekken
6:00 PM: Screening, King of Chinatown
7:15 PM: Screening, Focus
SUNDAY, JULY 31
10:00 AM: BlazBlue Finals
12:00 AM: Tekken 6 Finals
2:00 PM: Mortal Kombat 9 Finals
3:30 PM: SFIII Third Strike Exhibition
5:00 PM: Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Finals
7:00 PM: SSFIV AE Finals
9:00 PM: Closing Ceremonies
EVO 2011 Preview
STREAM
The EVO 2011 live broadcast will be brought to you by the collaborative efforts of iPLAYWINNER and Team Sp00ky, as well as Offcast and FinestKO. Check here for details:
The final details of the streams still haven't been released yet, but here's what we know now:
Stream 1: http://www.ustream.tv/evo2011
Stream 2: http://www.ustream.tv/evo2011bonus
Low quality option (Stream 1): http://www.ustream.tv/channel/evo-low
Stream 1 and 2 on a single page: http://www.ustwrap.info/multi/evo-1::evo-2
Japanese booth stream with Gama no Abura: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/godsgarden
Stream of the EVO Public Viewing in Japan: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/godsgarden2
ST Higher Rollers ($40) tournament (over): http://www.ustream.tv/channel/evo-super-turbo-tournament
Stream 1: Team Sp00ky
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition (Friday)
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (Saturday)
Finals (Sunday)
Stream 2: Offcast/FinestKO
Mortal Kombat (Friday)
Tekken 6, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II (Saturday)
After-hours Stream: iPLAYWINNER
The primary stream will also be available on PlayStation Home.
For the final day of EVO, GODSGARDEN will be holding a public viewing in Japan, at the Akihabara Clark Studio.
INFO
From the EVO site:
Since its inception in 2002, the tournament has had its hype moments here (full match) and there (full match). Anticipate many great moments to come this year as well.
For more information, check the F.A.Q. on the EVO website.
SPONSORS
Capcom
Namco Bandai Games
Mad Catz
THQ
Meat Bun
Focus Fire
Broken Tier
Galaxy4Gamers
Atlus
GAMES
For rules, check the Player Guide for more information:
Tournament Format
Tournament Rules
Additional Rules
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II
This is actually BlazBlue's first year at EVO, as in 2009, the console release was only a month before that year's tournament. In 2010, with the community split between Calamity Trigger and Continuum Shift which at the time was already released in arcades in Japan and was leaked to PC the BB community decided it was best to give up their slot on the roster, and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was selected as a replacement. This year, however, BlazBlue is finally ready for the main stage. With the May release of the Continuum Shift II DLC, the console and arcade release are finally at parity.
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
For the first half of the year, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has been the new hype. While SSFIV headed into twilight as everyone waited for the inevitable AE release, MvC3 took the community by storm, and the stream monster "Fuck Tekken, when's SF?" became "Fuck SF, when's Marvel?" Tokido's victory at CEO has certainly shaken things up, a reminder that this isn't Marvel 2 anymore: this is anyone's game. As long as one plays Wolverine and/or Phoenix, that is. Is "America's Game" not America's anymore?
For some in-depth analysis of the current state of MvC3 play, check out Dahbomb's posts on the MvC3 Meta-game: Part 1 Part 2
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat is the first US-made game to be a part of the tournament. NetherRealm Studios has endeavored to making this game a tournament-worthy one. The game made quite a showing at CEO this year, with over 160 entrants. Cheers to MK's inaugural year, hopefully it will be a strong one.
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition
This is the third year and third version of Street Fighter IV. New characters have joined the fray, and we've already seen the dominance of Yun from Daigo Umehara. Japan has had the game for months; most players in the US are still trying to play catch-up. Expect players to continue to grind it out over the coming weeks, trying to gain a better familiarity with the new version.
Tekken 6
SoulCalibur, Virtua Fighter, and Dead or Alive have come and gone, but Tekken has been the one 3D fighting game series that has stuck around, having had representation at every EVO with the exception of 2002 and 2009. It may not be every stream monster's delight, but Namco is adding an extra $5000 to the pot, so there's certainly money to be won.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Grandmaster Invitational
Five competitors, hand-picked by Capcom staff will challenge each other in a round-robin format tournament, playing the classic Third Strike.
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 East Coast vs. West Coast Exhibition
The rivalry between the US East and West Coasts burns again. NerdJosh, representing the East Coast, and Justin Wong, representing the West Coast, will announce their selections for this 5v5 competition live on Thursday, and the two teams will duke it out on Saturday night.
OTHER GAMERS
Namco will be bringing the latest build of Tekken Tag Tournament 2, as well as exclusive SoulCalibur V content. Street Fighter × Tekken make an appearance. Skullgirls will also have a large presence at EVO, including a side tournament for a chance to win a custom Skullgirls arcade stick.
EVO 2011 PANEL SERIES
EVO will host a series of panels throughout the event, featuring games, interviews as well as a discussion of the fighting game community itself.
Panel #1: Feed the Stream Monsters: A Guide to Broadcast Fighting Games - Friday, July 29 10AM
Mr Jared of (PAYWINNER, AJ aka Potatohead of Level|Up, and Louis aka Offcast speak on the history of fighting game broadcast as well as tips for building a successful stream.
Panel #2: Skullgirls: A New Age of Heroines - Friday, July 29 12PM
Mike Z talks the game a bit, and we get a deeper look into Parasoul, the newest character to be introduced.
Panel #3: Inside the Mind of the Beast: Daigo Umehara Exposed! - Friday, July 29 2PM
Seth Killian interviews the man himself. A limited edition Umehara shirt will also be for sell for $20.
Panel #4: Marvel Vs Capcom 3: Past, Present, and Future w/ Ryota Niitsuma (producer) and Hidetoshi Neo_G Ishizawa (battle designer) - Friday, July 29 4PM
Two of the minds behind Marvel vs. Capcom 3 discuss the game's development process as the future of MvC.
Panel #5: THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII: Panel and Discussion - Saturday, July 30 10AM
Producer Kei Yamamoto and Atlus Project Manager Yu Namba offer an inside look at the development of The King of Fighters XIII.
Panel #6: Street Fighter III: Online Edition, Reinventing a Classic - Saturday, July 30 12PM
Derek Neal, Christian Svensson and Dave Lang (CEO of Iron Galaxy, the OE developer) talk about bringing by 3rd Strike for another round and chat about features the fans would like to see in future fighting games.
Panel #7: Namco Bandai Get Ready For The Next Panel! - Saturday, July 30 2PM
Tekken Team Director Katsuhiro Harada, Game Designer Michael Murray and Community Manager FilthieRich talk the future of Tekken, while SoulCalibur V Director Daishi Odashima shares info on the upcoming release.
Panel #8: New Directions in Street Fighter × Tekken - Saturday, July 30 4PM
Yoshinori Ono, producer of SFIV and SFxT and perhaps the greatest troll in the fighting game community, gives us the latest scoop on Street Fighter X Tekken.
PLAYERS
Final point standings for the EVO Tournament Season (MvC3, SSFIV AE, Tekken 6)
To list every notable that will attend notable player that will be attending EVO would certainly be a daunting task. Just about every big name in the US fighting game scene will be there. Veterans like Justin Wong, Alex Valle, Sanford Kelly and Arturo Sanchez. Fan favorites (and not-so-favorites), like Mike Ross, Filipino Champ and Yipes. The new generation of prodigies, such as WolfKrone and Chris G. Joining them will be fierce international competition from Europe, Japan, and other areas around the globe. Over 40 countries will be represented at EVO.
Some of the international competition:
Cuongster [France]
Evans [France]
Frieda [Japan]
Fuudo [Japan]
Gama no Abura [Japan]
GamerBee [Taiwan]
Gackt [Singapore]
Humanbomb [Australia]
Infiltration [South Korea]
Kayo Police [Japan]
Laugh [South Korea]
Leslie [Singapore]
Nekohashi [Japan]
Nyanshi [Japan]
Poongko [South Korea]
Shiro [Japan]
Shungoku Neurosis [Japan]
StarNab [France]
Stev0 [Ireland]
Xian [Singapore]
Zhieeeeep [Singapore]
eLive
Kindevu [Japan]
RF [Japan]
Evil Geniuses
Choco [Japan]
Momochi [Japan]
LowLandLions
Kayane [France]
Ryan Hart [UK]
Team Mad Catz
Daigo Umehara [Japan]
Kayane [France]
Mago [Japan]
Ryan Hart [UK]
Tokido [Japan]
The Traveling Circus
GamerBee [Taiwan]
Tokido [Japan]
ToXY [Australia]
NeoGAF will be at EVO in force; even the below list is only partial.
EvoGAF
BigJiantRobut
Bob White
cHaotix8
devastatorprime
dragonballjoseph
Eissan
FishStix
GalacticAE
Gegz
God's Beard
haunts
JEKKI
Joekage
Killa Sasa
macuser1of5
MarkMan
Mr Jared
notworksafe
nycfurby
Rice-Eater
rivals
Skilletor
TestMonkey
ThatCrazyGuy
The Int3rsect
viewtiful_dru
SCHEDULE
*All times are PDT (-7 UTC)*
THURSDAY, JULY 28
2:00 PM 8:00 PM: Early Badge Pickup
10:00 PM: Official Evo Pre-Party @ Insert Coin(s)
FRIDAY, JULY 29
Tournament Schedule
8:00 AM 6:00 PM: Pool Play, SSFIV AE, MK
6:00 PM 8:00 PM: Quarterfinals SSFIV AE, MK
8:00 PM 11:00 PM: Semifinals, SSFIV AE, MK
Panel Schedule
10:00 AM: Feed the Stream Monsters: A Guide to Broadcast Fighting Games
12:00 PM: Skullgirls: A New Age of Heroines
2:00 PM: Inside the Mind of the Beast: Daigo Umehara Exposed!
4:00 PM: Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Past, Present, and Future!
6:00 PM: Screening, Bang the Machine
SATURDAY, JULY 30
Tournament Schedule
8:00 AM 6:00 PM: Pool Play, MvC3, Tekken 6, BlazBlue CSII
6:00 PM 8:00 PM: Quarterfinals, MvC3, Tekken 6, BlazBlue CSII
8:00 PM 11:00 PM: Semifinals, MvC3
12:00 AM: MvC3 EC vs. WC 5 on 5 Exhibition
Panel Schedule
10:00 AM: King of Fighters XIII: Panel and Discussion
12:00 PM: Street Fighter III: Online Edition, Reinventing a Classic
2:00 PM: Namco Bandai Get Ready for the Next Panel!
4:00 PM: New Directions in Street Fighter X Tekken
6:00 PM: Screening, King of Chinatown
7:15 PM: Screening, Focus
SUNDAY, JULY 31
10:00 AM: BlazBlue Finals
12:00 AM: Tekken 6 Finals
2:00 PM: Mortal Kombat 9 Finals
3:30 PM: SFIII Third Strike Exhibition
5:00 PM: Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Finals
7:00 PM: SSFIV AE Finals
9:00 PM: Closing Ceremonies
